Gulfstream Park: Preview of the Saturday Stakes Races
4 Stakes headline the Saturday, January 7 card at Gulfstream Park
There’s a 20% chance of rain for Saturday. Check the weather
Gulfstream Race #3: Grade-3 Old Hat, 3 year old fillies, 6 furlongs (dirt), $100K
Seven are entered for this race with Todd Pletcher having runners in the one and two holes including the favorite Bode’s Dream who’ll open at 8 to 5.
Pletcher is hitting at 34% winners for the meet and sends out Bode’s Dream off a win in the six furlong House Party last time out over the slop at Gulfstream to give her three career wins in as many starts.
She broke her maiden here earlier in the year going 4 1/2 before sprinting to victory in the Astoria at Belmont in her second start at 5 1/2.
Atenea is an Ecuadorian bred filly who will be racing with blinkers and Lasix for the first time and is undefeated in two starts in her native country. She’ll be making her first start in the states for trainer Mario Morales who has a second from two starts at the meet.
Atenea has won both races by a combined margin of 24 lengths vs. stakes and handicap runners to earn a grand total of $1,400. Lezcano will ride.
Gulfstream Race #4: Grade-3 Dania Beach, 3 year olds, 7 1/2 furlongs (turf), $100K
Made You Look is listed at 9 to 5 in the morning line for Pletcher and comes in off a 6th place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and a two month layoff.
Before that he got back to back wins on the inner turf at Belmont and Saratoga in the G2 With Anticipation, respectively.
Second choice at 3 to 1 is Kitten’s Cat winner of the Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes on Breeders’ Cup weekend going 6 1/2 down the hillside.
Before that he was third in the G3 Pilgrim on the yielding turf at Belmont off a maiden score at Kentucky Downs prior.
Gulfstream Race #9: Ginger Brew, 3 year old fillies, 7 1/2 furlongs (turf), $100K
Thirteen are entered for this and it’s wide open with #12 Juenesse Doree listed at 4 to 1 to open the betting.
Trained by Mark Casse (9% at the meet) he’ll be ridden by Leparoux off a maiden score at Keeneland last time out going 1 mile as the favorite.
Two runners come in off three race win streaks.
Party Boat (9 to 2) won a maiden on the turf at Monmouth going 1 mile in September by three. He returned a month later to take an AlwNW2L at Keeneland going 1 1/16 miles. Last time out he was a winner here at 1 mile in the Wait A While over the slop after being transferred to the main track.
Rosario (8%) will again be aboard for Motion (25%).
Conquest Vivi (5 to 1) is another who will be sent out by Casse (9%) on a 3 race win streak at Woodbine in all-weather sprints. He’ll be making his fourth career start and first on dirt.
Gulfstream Race #10: Mucho Macho Man, 3 year olds, 1 mile (dirt), $100K
Hemsworth (7 to 2) exits the G2 Nashua at Aqueduct on Breeders’ Cup weekend having broken his by 9 against winners.
In the Nashua he got Lasix for the first time and faced only three others.
Prior to the Nashua he was fourth in his only other two starts in New York.
Hemsworth will get a new rider in Gaffalione (11%) for (17%) trainer Albertrani.
Han Sense (15 to 1) and runner-up in the Nashua, will start for trainer Maker (17%) off a dismal performance last time out in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill. He’ll be ridden by (26%) jockey Saez.
There’s plenty to like about several of the horses entered to go which makes for a good betting race.
